Transfer fork



Dec. 6, 1938. P. UNGER' v 2,133,947

TRANSFER FORK Filed Jan. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Dec. 6, 1938. p, O R. 2,138,947

TRANSFER FORK Filed Jan. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 flan/i07 .PMJQ 227 IPatented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSFER FORKMassachusetts Application January 22, 1936, Serial No. 60,154

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a transfer fork particularly designed for usein transferring a plurality of sheets to or from a loose leaf binderwithout disarranging the sheets.

It is an object of my invention to provide a transfer fork adapted toremove a substantial portion of the sheet contents of a loose leafbinder, retain the sheets securely so that they may be used while on thefork, and to replace them in the hinder, or insert them in a differentbinder, without disturbing the arrangement of any of the sheets. It is afurther object of my invention to provide a transfer fork provided withsheet retaining prongs that may be inserted into apertures of sheetscontained in a binder when the prongs of the binder are in overlappedposition. Other objects of my invention will become apparent uponreading the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loose leaf binder in half openedposition with the transfer fork shown in position for insertion into thesheets to be transferred;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the binder with the transfer forkinserted in the sheets to be transferred;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the sheets to betransferred moved into position for removal;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the binder fully opened andthe sheets removed;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the transfer fork with sheets securedthereto; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the transfer fork.

The loose leaf binder illustrated is fully disclosed in the applicationof George H. Dawson, Serial No. 759,611, filed December 29, 1934, whichissued as Letters Patent No. 2,073,049, on March 9, 1937. In View of thefact that the specific binder is not part of the invention, it will notbe described in detail. The binder comprises a pair of back sections 2hinged along their meeting edges as indicated at 3. A pair of covers 4is hinged to opposite edges of the back sections 2, as indicated at 5. Aplurality of curved latches 6 are secured to one back section to holdthe back sections in closed or in half opened position. The referencenumeral 1 designates a finger piece which operates a locking bar (notshown) to release the latches 6 to permit movement of the back sectionsto opened position. Each back section carries a plurality of archedsheet retaining prongs 8 that overlap each other when the binder is inhalf opened position. A plurality of banks of sheets arranged inoverlapping relationship is impaled on the sheet retaining prongs-8;

The transfer fork comprises'aflat bar 9 having a plurality of sheetretaining prongs l secured thereto so as to project beyond one edgethereof. The prongs ID are curved towards the edge of the bar oppositethe edge from which they project and then in the reverse direction. Thecurvature of the prongs l0 conforms to the curvature of the prongs 8 sothat the prongs 10 may be inserted in the sheets impaled on the prongs 8and will lie flat against said sheets. An elastic cord II has one endsecured to the bar 9 in any suitable manner, and has an enlarged knob 12at its free end. The bar Bis provided with a notch l3 near the endopposite that to which the cord H is secured. The bar is also providedwith an aperture I4 adjacent each end so that the transfer fork may behung on a nail.

The operation of my improved transfer fork is quite simple. When it isdesired to remove a plurality of sheets from a binder, the back sectionsof the binder are moved to half opened position, and the prongs of thetransfer fork are inserted into apertures I provided adjacent thebinding edge of the sheets, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. The mannerof securement of the prongs ID to the bar 9 and the direction ofcurvature of the prongs l0 cause the bar to lie clear of the prongs 8 onthe side away from the back of the binder so that the transfer forkprongs can 'be inserted into the apertures while the sheets are stillsecurely held by the prongs of the binder.

The transfer fork and the desired sheets are then moved onto the prongs8 on the other side of the binder, as shown in Figure 3, and the elasticcord l I is looped over the sheets and the free end of the cord is theninserted into the notch l3 to hold the sheets on the transfer fork. Theback sections are then moved to fully opened position and the transferfork and sheets secured thereto are then removed, as indicated in Figure4. The transfer fork and sheets may then be handled as much as desiredwithout disturbing the relative arrangement of the sheets secured'to thetransfer fork or those left in the binder. The removed sheets may beinserted in another binder or may be replaced in the same binder bymerely reversing the steps described above.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention indetail, it will be understood that the description thereof isillustrative rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified orchanged without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact constructiondescribed, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A transfer fork comprising a bar, a plurality of prongs secured tosaid,bar so as to project beyond one edge thereof, an elastic cordsecured to said bar, and a notch in said bar adapted to facilitatesecurement of the free end of said elastic cord.

2. A transfer fork comprising a bar having a plurality of curved prongssecured adjacent one edge of said bar, and elastic means adapted toretain sheets impaled on said curved prongs.

3. A transfer fork comprising a bar and a plurality of prongs securedadjacent one edge of said bar and projecting beyond said edge, saidprongs being curved toward the opposite edge of said bar and then in thereverse direction.

4. In combination with a loose leaf binder adapted to be maintained in ahalf opened position with a plurality of curved sheet retaining prongsin overlapping position, a transfer fork comprising a bar provided witha plurality of prongs of substantially the same curvature as saidfirstmentioned prongs, said second mentioned prongs being secured tosaid bar in offset relationship thereto, whereby said second mentionedprongs can be inserted into the apertures of the sheets contained withinsaid binder when said binder is in its half opened position.

5. In combination, a loose leaf binder comprising a pair of backsections having a plurality of curved prongs adapted to overlap toretain a plurality of apertured sheets in said binder, and a transferfork comprising a bar, a plurality of prongs having a curvaturesubstantially similar to the curvature of said first mentioned prongssecured to said bar in offset relationship thereto, whereby said secondmentioned prongs are'insertable in said apertured sheets when said firstmentioned prongs are in overlapped position, an elastic retaining memberhaving one end secured to said bar, and a notch in said bar adapted tosecure the free end of the elastic retaining member to retain aplurality of said sheets on said transfer fork.

PAUL O. UNGER.

